Journalism.co.uk Editors' Blog » BBC

Media Release: BBC appoints Alex Gubbay as first social media editor

Laura Oliver — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:12:38 +0000

While Journalism.co.uk was away conferencing, the BBC announced Alex Gubbay as its first social media editor.

Gubbay, currently interactive sports news editor for BBC sport, will take up the role in January.

He will lead ‘editorial development of user-generated content [UGC] and social media initiatives across the newsroom’, said the release, including taking over management of the BBC’s UGC hub.

Full release at this link…

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Story Curve: BBC College of Journalism site to launch on 14 December

Laura Oliver — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:05:39 +0000

Kevin Marsh from the BBC’s College of Journalism has more details on the forthcoming launch of the college’s public website on bbc.co.uk.

“It’s all arranged into four main categories: Ethics and Values, Law, Skills and Briefing. There’s also a cross-category bit of the site – the Glossaries.
We’ve tried to keep the structure as flat as possible – the idea is that you should be able to go exactly where you want with no more than a couple of clicks (…) something that’s helped by the site’s ‘intelligent learning environment’ – each page’s metadata should ensure that you’re offered on that page something else similar or related to the learning you’re reading or watching,” writes Marsh.

“We’ll be adding new content regularly – there’s already more stuff in the pipeline on court reporting, numbers, field production and political reporting – and building what we hope will be one of the most important networks around journalism and journalism education in the world.”

Full post at this link…

More details on plans for the College of Journalism website in this report from the DNA2009 conference.

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Half-price student tickets at ‘Will We Have News for You?’ event

Judith Townend — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:55:18 +0000

We’re informed a few tickets are still going for next Tuesday’s ‘Will We Have News for You?’ a Media Society night at the BBC; details below:

5:00pm, Tuesday 10 November 2009, BBC TV Centre Wood Lane, W12, Full price £10; students £5

Nick Pollard (former head of Sky News)

Mary Hockaday (head of multimedia newsroom, BBC)

Jonathan Munro (ITN)

Jonathan Levy (editor, General Election Sky News )

Stephen Cole (presenter, Al Jazeera English[tbc])

Contact: Mutesa Sithole – mutesasithole [at] googlemail.com

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Media failings contributed to BNP’s electoral success, says George Alagiah

John Stevens — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 17:12:07 +0000

BBC newsreader George Alagiah believes the failings of the media have partly led to the party’s electoral success, he said at an LSE lecture last Friday.

Talking about news and identity at the Polis event, Alagiah, who currently presents the Six O’Clock News & World News Today on BBC World News, said that the media had concentrated too much on looking at differences and had not given enough of a voice to those with reasonable concerns about immigration. “I am uncomfortable with a white-only party on Question Time,” he said.

“I think the emergence of the BNP as an electoral presence in our country poses a challenge to the way in which both the political and media classes in Britain have dealt with the issues of race, identity and culture,” he added.

“There was far too much emphasis on difference and not enough emphasis on the values that unite us together as a nation. I think that there was an accidental, unintentional relegation of the concept of Britishness and when we let it go it went and found a home in the recesses of extremism here in Britain.”

The newsreader added that people asking reasonable questions about the speed of change in communities caused by immigration had been wrongly ’slapped down as racist’. “Journalists have failed to see this sense of disempowerment amongst white working class people,” he said.

Regional news organisations have a role in tracking changes in communities and helping people to understand them, Alagiah said, adding that investment in local media was vital. “When organised well-funded regional news-gathering is in retreat, hearsay fills the gap, and this is all the more likely in the age of the blog.”

John Stevens is a postgraduate newspaper journalism student at City University. He blogs at http://bit.ly/on-the-fly.

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‘About the BBC’ blog launches

Judith Townend — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:52:50 +0000

The BBC already has a pretty good track record for its ‘process’ blogs, what with The Editors’ Blog, the Internet Blog and Journalism Labs. And it has launched another, just in time to host a post by Mark Thompson on the BNP / Question Time decision.

The blog, edited by Chris Jones, will be a place where ‘decision makers and experts can talk about things going on inside the BBC’ it says.

“This could include anything; from major announcements to how parts of the corporation operate. We’ll also be highlighting and linking to the fascinating debates happening on the many other blogs, message boards and other social media, inside and outside the BBC website.”

About the BBC blog at this link.

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Poll: Was the BBC right to invite BNP’s Nick Griffin onto Question Time? #bbcqt

Judith Townend — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:17:09 +0000

Amid much controversy the BNP’s Nick Griffin made his BBC Question Time debut last night. Now, having seen or read about the transmitted programme, do you think the BBC was right in its judgement to invite him on? Please take part in our poll and leave additional comments about the programme below:

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BBC Trust will not ‘intervene’ in BBC’s BNP Question Time decision

Judith Townend — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:04:50 +0000

BBC Trust intervention in the BBC’s decision to allow BNP leader Nick Griffin onto Question Time would be at odds with the corporation’s constitutional arrangements, the regulatory body has said.

Therefore the Trust will not hear appeals, and complaints can only be made after transmission. The release stated:

“They [ad hoc Trust committee] took the view that the Charter and Agreement establishes the director-general as editor-in-chief of the BBC – the individual responsible for the editorial content of BBC programmes.”

Full release at this link…

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NUJ Release: Union criticises BBC for allowing BNP on Question Time

Judith Townend — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 16:35:13 +0000

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) opposes the BBC’s decision to invite the leader of the British National Party (BNP) onto its Question Time programme, the union has said in a release.

“The union argues that the format of the show does not allow the BNP’’s dishonest propaganda to be properly challenged.”

Full release at this link…

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BBC creates 12 new regional broadcast roles as part of new local news plans

Laura Oliver — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 15:15:59 +0000

The BBC is recruiting the first batch of regional journalists to improve its linear services to the UK’s regions, as part of proposals approved by the the BBC Trust in July.

The 12 new political reporter posts (as advertised on Media UK) will work across radio, TV and online for the BBC’s English regions.

“In this role, you’ll be translating complex material into reports which engage with our audiences. You’ll be working for both bulletins and programmes (e.g. Local Radio Breakfast and Drivetime shows) and providing material for regional TV news and weekly political programmes on BBC One. You’ll cover the next General Election campaign,” the job ad description explains.

Following the rejection of the BBC’s plans to increase local video output, the BBC Trust tasked the executive with producing proposals to enhance the BBC’s local TV and radio services.

The approved proposals included:

A fund for programming in the English regions
Improvements to local TV and radio news, including coverage of local government

“This is the first tranche of roles that we intend to create over the next few years focused on enhanced BBC coverage of local democracy on both local radio and regional television as part of improving local linear services to regions and communities,” a BBC spokeswoman told Journalism.co.uk.

“The overall package is part of a process of re-investment from our own efficiencies and we don’t expect there to be any net increase in jobs over the whole of the package which will roll out over the next 4/5 years.”

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PDA: BBC to create social media editor role

Laura Oliver — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:18:18 +0000

The BBC is looking to appoint a social media editor to help the corporation better understand how to explore social media and best practice for using it.

The BBC already has members of its team scanning social media for news, Nic Newman, future media and technology controller, confirmed.

Last month the Guardian reported that a ‘radical redesign’ and relaunch of BBC websites is planned for March 2010, with a focus on social media – according to the paper’s sources.

Among the changes outlined were ‘a new homepage and underlying hosting platform’, radical changes to news navigation, commenting facilities on programmes, the launch of the Open iPlayer and new connections to third party platforms.

The BBC, however, denied such a ‘radical overhaul’ to Journalism.co.uk, although it said ‘a refresh of the BBC News site’ will take place in due course – as previously reported.

Full story at this link…

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